The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a significant policy shift aimed at protecting the integrity of the female category in Olympic sports, effectively restricting participation to biological women. This decision, which will prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s Olympic events, was formally unveiled by IOC President Kirsty Coventry.
This move aligns with similar measures adopted by other major sports organizations, such as World Athletics, which is set to introduce mandatory gender testing in 2025.
Eligibility for any women’s sport under the IOC’s jurisdiction will now be determined by tests for the presence or absence of the SRY gene, a key factor in male sex development. These tests, which the IOC describes as “minimally intrusive compared to other possible methods,” will involve saliva, cheek swab, or blood samples and are intended to be conducted only once in an athlete’s lifetime.
Individuals diagnosed with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other rare Differences in Sex Development (DSD) who test positive for the SRY gene may still be eligible to compete in the women’s category, provided they do not benefit from the anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects of testosterone, according to the IOC guidelines.
Conversely, athletes who test positive for the SRY gene, including XY transgender athletes and androgen-sensitive XY-DSD athletes, would be eligible to compete in any men’s category.
“The policy we have announced is based on science and has been guided by medical experts,” stated Kirsty Coventry. “In the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can differentiate between victory and defeat. It is therefore absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the women’s category.” She further emphasized, “Furthermore, in certain sports, it simply wouldn’t be safe.”
This measure marks a reintroduction of sex verification testing, a practice that was common throughout modern Olympic history but was largely phased out in the late 1990s. The previous discontinuation was primarily due to widespread criticism regarding the reliability of such tests and concerns about potential discrimination against athletes and infringements on their dignity.